Corneal biomechanical properties in normal, post-laser in situ keratomileusis, and keratoconic eyes

PURPOSE: To compare the biomechanical properties of normal, post-laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), and keratoconic corneas evaluated by corneal hysteresis and the corneal resistance factor measured with the Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA). SETTINGS: Instituto Oftalmológico de Alicante, Vissum, Alicante, Spain. METHODS: Two hundred fifty eyes were divided into 3 groups: normal (control group), post-LASIK, and keratoconus. The corneal biomechanical properties were measured with the ORA, which uses a dynamic bidirectional applanation process. The main outcome measures were intraocular pressure, corneal hysteresis, and the corneal resistance factor. RESULTS: The control group had 165 eyes; the LASIK group, 65 eyes; and the keratoconus group, 21 eyes. In the control group, the mean corneal hysteresis value was 10.8 mm Hg +/- 1.5 (SD) and the mean corneal resistance factor, 11.0 +/- 1.6 mm Hg. The corneal hysteresis value was lower in older eyes, and the difference between the youngest age group (9 to 14 years) and oldest age group (60 to 80 years) was statistically significant (P = .01, t test). One month after LASIK, corneal hysteresis and the corneal resistance factor decreased significantly, from 10.44 to 9.3 mm Hg and from 10.07 to 8.13 mm Hg, respectively. In the keratoconus group, the mean corneal hysteresis was 7.5 +/- 1.2 mm Hg and the mean corneal resistance factor, 6.2 +/- 1.9 mm Hg. There were statistically significant differences in both biomechanical parameters between keratoconic eyes and post-LASIK eyes (P<.001, t test). CONCLUSIONS: The corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor values were significantly lower in keratoconic eyes than in post-LASIK eyes. Future work is needed to determine whether these differences are useful in detecting keratoconus when other diagnostic tests are equivocal.